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05/07/2024 03:01 PMPress Release from Office of State Senator Christine Cohen
The Connecticut State Senate is expected to vote to allocate $360 million in soon-to-expire American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. Of those funds, State Senator Christine Cohen has secured $5 million to increase Shore Line East service.
“As many of you know, I have been a vocal and persistent advocate for increasing Shore Line East funding for several years now,” said Sen. Cohen. “The limited ARPA dollars were largely allocated to higher education, non-profit and social services, early childhood education, mental health—programming with tremendous need. I am pleased that I was able to negotiate $5 million for Shore Line East, and this small but significant win establishes a strong footing for me and my shoreline colleagues to come back next session and continue fighting for more dollars for this essential service.”
“While I am disappointed that this won’t result in 100% restoration, I am committed to continuing to fight for the dollars necessary to bring fast, efficient connectivity to the region,” Cohen continued. “I am pleased that we are able to accomplish these critical investments while abiding by our fiscal guardrails, remaining under the spending cap, and maintaining our state’s financial stability.”
Full funding of Shore Line East is expected to carry a $35 million price tag. This $5 million secured by Sen. Cohen is intended to add back a peak service train both in the morning and the evening. Public comment will be sought to determine the best time for each train.
Additionally, in HB 5330, Sen. Cohen required that the Department of Transportation come back to the Transportation Committee with at least five alternatives for restoring service to the line and the cost of each possibility. This bill has passed the House and now awaits a vote in the Senate.
Sen. Cohen also secured $150,000 for a vehicle purchase for the Regional Traffic Fatality Response. The vehicle will be used by the South Central Connecticut Traffic Unit, which is comprised of six police departments, including East Haven, North Haven, Branford, North Branford, Madison, and Guilford. These towns provide mutual aid to the region in the event of a fatal or serious injury motor vehicle collision. The vehicle is a specialized unit designed to allow law enforcement to investigate these incidents that occur in one of the compact jurisdictions.
Other critical investments include $80 million for UConn and UConn Health, $80 million for Connecticut state colleges and universities, $30 million for early childhood support which includes: $1.2 million for Smart Start, $18.8 million for Care4Kids, and $10 million for children’s behavioral health. Additionally, there is $17.2 million to expand Mobile Crisis Intervention Services.